BAHAMAS Davis Cup team, from left to right, of captain Marvin Rolle, Donte Armbrister, Denali Nottage and Kevin Major Jr.

As of Tuesday, June 20, 2023

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TEAM captain Marvin Rolle, on the left, and Donte Armbrister pose in front of the scoreboard after their doubles victory.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas men’s tennis team suffered an opening 2-1 loss to the Dominican Republic as the Davis Cup competition got underway yesterday at the International Tennis Club in Asuncion, Paraguay.

#But player/captain Marvin Rolle said the team is in high spirits and looking forward to playing through the rest of the week out of Group B where they have to face the other teams in Paraguay, Costa Rica and Honduras.

#In the opening singles match, Grand Bahamian Denali Nottage made his debut, losing 6-2, 6-4 to Alejandro Jose Gandini. He was followed by Kevin Major Jr, who played in the top seed match against Peter Bertram, losing 6-4, 6-3.

#It came down to the doubles and Rolle teamed up with Donte Armbrister as they sealed the only victory for the Bahamas with a 7-6 (7), 6-2 decision over Alberto Puello and Emmanuel Munoz.

#Rolle, in summing up the team’s performance, said it was mixed reactions from the matches they played.

#“It was Denali’s first time playing in the Davis Cup, he was definitely nervous,” Rolle said. “He played much better in the second set. He started to find his groove and he started to get into the match. A few points here and there made the difference.

#“But he was just getting his feet wet. That’s how it goes sometimes when you are playing for the first time. Your nerves get the best of you, but he played well.”

#In his match, Rolle said he felt Major Jr played as well as he could against his opponent, who was ranked about 781 in the world.

#“He played well. It was a good match,” Rolle stated. “Just some key points here and there was the difference. When the tight moments came, KJ couldn’t capitalise.

#“In the second set, it was tied up at 3-3, and then a few errors on KJ’s part allowed the guy to pull away. I could have helped him a little more with some more tips here and there.”

#In the doubles match where he has been a formidable team-mate, Rolle said he was delighted to help Armbrister come out with his first Davis Cup victory in his second appearance on the team.

#“We played well. We were down in the first set, but we came back and broke to go away and he closed out the tie breaker pretty strong, winning 7-0,” Rolle stressed.

#“In the second set, we were grooving well. We were serving well and we had a lot of opportunities on their serves. The guys we played against were like juniors. You could tell this was their first time playing. They were really young.”

#Today, in their second match, Rolle said the Bahamas will take on top seed Paraguay out of their group.

#“We played them last year, so we know what to expect,” he insisted. “We will go out there and play our best. It’s unfrotunate KJ couldn’t finish the match against the same guy who he will play against.

#“But this year, KJ is healthy and we hope that he can play strong. We will go out there and play our best and try to finish strong.”

#Rolle noted that earlier in the week when they arrived it was cold, but it’s now warming up and, if the conditions remain the same for the rest of the week, they hope to make the best of it.

#As the elder statesman of the team, having travelled and played in more Davis Cup ties than any other member, Rolle said their living accommodations are really nice with just about all of the amenities at their disposal.

#He noted that while there’s nothing much to complain about, the team just has to get prepared to play each match.

As of Tuesday, June 20, 2023

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Charisma Taylor, of the Bahamas, in action in this file photo. She’s looking forward to taking the next step and completing the year with a possible trip to the World Championships. Taylor was sixth in the women’s 100 metre hurdles at the Atlanta Open in Atlanta, Georgia, over the weekend.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ALTHOUGH she had a long and hectic collegiate season, versatile Charisma Taylor said she’s looking forward to taking the next step and completing the year with a possible trip to the World Championships.

#After wrapping up her final season for the University of Tennessee at the NCAA Championships over the weekend of June 7-10 in Austin, Texas, Taylor competed at the Atlanta Open in Atlanta, Georgia, over the weekend.

#She was sixth in the women’s 100 metre hurdles in a time of 13.18 seconds. The event, featuring a cross section of international athletes, was won by Danielle Williams of Jamaica in a season’s best of 12.62.

#Cindy Sember of England finished just ahead of Taylor in 13.15. “The meet was okay. It was my first meet for the year, not competing for Tennessee, so it was different,” said Taylor, who had the second fastest qualifying time of 13.13 behind American Kaylor Harris out of the University of Central Florida, who led the field in 12.88.

#“I didn’t have my coaches around. I basically had to do everything for myself, which is something I guess I have to start to get accustomed to doing.”

#As for the competition, Taylor said she felt right in her element.

#“I think my legs were a little bit fatigued because I just came from Nationals where I just competed in four events the week before,” she said. “I just wanted to see what I could run because I’m doing a new technique for my start.

#“The competition was really good. There were many high ranked competitors, so it was definitely good to run against them. I ran against some of them before, so it was good to get that opportunity again.”

#Taylor, 23, had just completed the NCAA Championships where she was fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 45-feet, 8 1/2-inches or 13.93 metres; sixth in the long jump with 21-1/2 (6.41m) and 10th in the 100m hurdles in 12.94.

#“Coming out of the NCAA Championships, I was not happy with my result,” she said. “I definitely had bigger and higher goals set out for myself, mainly because it was my last nationals and I wanted to make an impact,” she reflected. “But everything happened for a reason and God’s timing is perfect. It just wasn’t his timing for me.

#“So I had to stand on that and trust and believe in his plan. I know I will be back bigger and better. I was really disappointed with my performances at NCAA, but as an athlete, you have to take things as they come and move and grow from it.”

#Now that her collegiate season is over, Taylor has her sights set on the global stage where she hopes to continue as a professional athlete. The Atlanta Open was a good indicator of what to expect.

#She will no doubt get her big test at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she has to achieve the qualifying standards or be given an invite based on her ranking. The standard for the 100m hurdles is 12.78 and she has a season’s best of 12.80; th3e long jump standard is 6.85 and her SB is 6.51m and in the triple jump, the standard is 14.52m and she has a SB of 13.99m.

#“I’m just training right now, keeping my body in shape so that I can compete at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary,” said Taylor, who is also a pretty good sprinter and to be a part of the relay pool if a team is selected. “I’m really looking forward to that.”

#But before the World Championships, Taylor said she will be home to participate in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships, scheduled for July 5-7 at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.

#“I’ve decided to come back home and compete for the home crowd,” Taylor said. “I’m very excited about this new chapter in my life that will follow now that I’m done with college.”

As of Tuesday, June 20, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior Division will be sending a 12-member team off to compete in the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships next month.

#The championships are scheduled for July 3-8 in the Cayman Islands.

#The Bahamas will be competing against teams from Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and the US Virgin Islands in their bid to win the prestigious Hank James Trophy.

#The Bahamas finished fourth at last year’s championships behind Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica in that order. But junior golf chairman and team manager Gina Gonzalez-Rolle said they have the team to be a force to reckon with again this year.

#“We did have some good individual performances last year from Team Bahamas and this year, we have quite a few new players,” Rolle said. “We’re looking for our new players to shine.

#“But if not, we know one thing for sure. We are a rising team. A lot of our players are very young, but they will continue to do nothing, but get better as time goes on.

#“As you know, we’ve been working real hard on junior golf for the past four-five years and we know that they will come out forcefully and continue to just get better and better.”

#Rolle will be travelling along with Fredrick Taylor, the coach of the team. He is a board member of the BGF and the lead coach for the Fourteen Clubs Golf Academy.

#There will be six different age groups for competition and the Bahamas will have representation in all of them.

#In the 18-and-under boys division, the Bahamas will be represented by three players.

#Zion Taylor, an 18-year-old, started playing at the age of 12 and hopes to one day play on the PGA Tour.

#Christopher Callender, who will be making his international debut, enjoys the camaraderie of his teammates and is driven by a competitive spirit.

#Alex Dupuch, a senior at Windsor High School, has been playing golf since the age of four. He hopes to study economics in college.

#The girls’ 18-and-under division will comprise of Miljokjka Gojkovic, a 17-year-old, who has been playing golf for two years despite the fact that she was introduced to the sport at the age of five.

#Tyesha Tynes, 17, has been a part of the junior national team for the past six years.

#Three players will also represent the Bahamas in the boys’ 15-and-under division.

#Jackson MacTaggart, a 15-year-old ninth grader, aspires to play collegiate golf and is an active tennis player. He also loves to go spearfishing.

#Kerrington Rolle, another 15-year-old, also attends Albany Golf Academy. He is playing on his third national team, having just got started started playing at the age of 10. He also enjoy soccer, tee ball and swim whenever he get the opportunity.

#Camdyn Forbes, another 15-year-old, has been playing competitive for three years, but hope to one day become a professional player.

#Two players make up the girls 15-and-under division.

#Taylor Sands, a 15-year-old, is representing the Bahamas for the first time, but hopes to take it all the way to the LPGA Tour.

#Seannae Norville-Smith started playing at the age of 10..

#Two players will participate in the boys 11-13 division.

#Patrick MacTaggart, a 13-year0old seventh grade student, aspires to play collegiate golf, but also enjoy tennis and fishing.

#De’Nahji Mortimer is a 13-year-old ninth grader at Bishop Michael Eldon High School in Grand Bahama, He follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who both represented the Bahamas in golf, but he also wants to play professional and eventually win a title on the the PGA Tour.

#And there will also be two players in the girls 11-13 division.

#Haley Hall, 12, is excited sbout her return to the national team after making her debut last year. She has been playing golf for six years and is looking forward to the competitiveness from her rivals around the Caribbean.

#Maddison Carroll, a 12-year-old student of Tambearly International School, who has been playing golf for eight years and who hopes to one day become a LPGA player as well.

 Home|Sports|Basketball schedule set for Bahamas GamesSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 20, 2023 72 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

What is expected to be one of the more popular sporting events in the 2023 Bahamas Games is taking shape as a calendar of games was released over the weekend.

There will be 10 teams in men’s basketball, separated into two pools, and six in women’s basketball with action set to tip off on Tuesday, July 11 at 9 a.m. in the morning at the D.W. Davis Gymnasium. On that Tuesday, there will be nine games with the featured contest being a men’s contest between Eleuthera and Bimini. That game will take place at 9 p.m. at D.W. Davis.

According to its roster, Eleuthera is loaded with a number of present or former national team players suiting up for them.

The other teams in men’s basketball are New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, MICAL (Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay), Exuma, Columbus Isles, Andros and Long Island. In women’s play, New Providence, Grand Bahama, Exuma, Eleuthera, Abaco and Columbus Isles will compete.

“On paper, Eleuthera looks like one of the stronger teams with the likes of Michael Carey, Dominick Bridgewater, ‘Kino’ Burrows and others, but as we know, basketball is not won on paper,” said Eugene Horton, president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF).

“They will be tough to beat but so will some of the other teams. This is the Bahamas Games and the competition will be intense. This is the first time in 20 years that we’re having the Bahamas Games. The last time I played and that was in the early 2000s. This is a time for the athletes, and even the 

coaches and team officials, to compete and network with each other. This is going to bring the islands together in a spirit of unity and for bragging rights. It’s going to be fun. We’re encouraging the public to come out and support basketball and support the other events as well. Come out and go from one sport to the next and let’s have fun and hopefully bring the islands together and set the way forward for future events.”

According to the schedule, basketball will be played for five successive days, culminating with the championship games for both men and women.

In the men’s division, after a single round robin style of play within a pool, the top four teams from that pool will advance to the pool championships. After a pool champion is crowned, the top two teams in each pool will play a crossover semifinals to determine the two teams that will advance to the championship. The winners will play in the gold medal game.

For the women, after a single round robin style of play, the top four teams will advance to the semifinals and the winners from the semifinals will play in the championships game. The bulk of the playoff games, and the championship games, will be played at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium.

The two gold medal games are set for Saturday, July 15, starting at noon at the Kendal Isaacs gym. The women will play first and will be followed by the men.

“Some teams still have to finalize their rosters, but we didn’t let that stop us from going ahead and setting the schedule,” said Horton. “I’m happy to get it out of the way. I don’t like to wait until the last minute to get things done. This is a simple process. We set it up the same way that it is done in the NPBA (New Providence Basketball Association) and the round robin (BBF National Round Robin Tournament) in terms of scheduling games.

“Also, we wanted to make it easier for the media. There is a link for statistics, so that the media could follow the games at the link or on the BBF’s website. The pools are set up in a way that the best teams will go to the championship. The top four teams in each pool will go to the playoffs. There will be crossover games and the winners of the two crossover games will go to the gold medal game. The women will go straight to the semifinals and the winners will go to the gold medal game. It’s going to be exciting.”

Horton said he will miss some of the competition because of a fraternity conference that he must attend, but added that his heart and thoughts will be with the basketball portion of the Bahamas Games.

The games were established in 1989 and the following events took place in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2001. The Golden Jubilee Bahamas Games will be held from July 7-15. The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 8, leading into the national 50th anniversary of independence celebrations.

These will be 16 sporting disciplines at 16 different locations, enabling persons to enjoy and support the teams and sports of their choice.

The 10 teams forming the individual islands or grouping of islands include: the Abaco Survivors, the Andros Chiccharnies, the Bimini and Berry Islands Marlins, the Columbus Isles Arawaks (Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador), the Eleuthera Adventurers, the Exuma & Ragged Island Navigators, the Grand Bahama Lucayans, the Long Island Sheep Runners, the MICAL Flamingoes  and the New Providence Buccaneers.

 Home|Sports|Baha Juniors women win Hummel CupSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 20, 2023 74 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After a scoreless draw at full time, the Baha Juniors women’s team won a penalty shootout, 3-1, over United FC, to secure the Bahamas Football Association’s (BFA) Hummel Cup at the BFA Training Center at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday.

Throughout the tournament, the Baha Juniors were known for an ability to find the back of the net easily, coming off a 5-2 drubbing of Dynamos FC in the semifinals. United FC did a good job of slowing them down, but be that as it may, Baha Juniors Coach Julian Smith was confident in his ladies coming through in the penalty shootout.

“The whole point of the game was to contain them because they are good at making passes,” Smith said. “We had to keep holding on. I wanted us to score, and we had some good breakthrough opportunities, but the draw at the end was good for us because I knew we were going to win on penalties. We have some good spot kick takers.”

Scoring for the Baha Juniors in the penalty shootout were Annisa Albury, Alyssa Franklin and Sydney Hector. Scoring the lone goal for United FC was Hadassah Knowles. Coming away with two key saves for the Baha Juniors in the penalty shootout was goalkeeper Ellianne Higgs.

“I was glad I got those saves because I know how much my team wanted this Cup,” Higgs said. “I worked as hard as I could to save them and I wanted to save those goals and I wanted to win as well. I wanted this win from the tournament started.”

Both teams had their chances at finding the back of the net, but could not finish in regulation.

Smith was excited for the win and likes that the BFA is putting on tournaments for women.

“It was a good win, especially with these ladies. They worked hard after falling short in the regular season and they deserve this win because of that. It is a very good tournament,” Smith said. “I applaud the BFA for it, but we also need to start with the younger ones. They are doing a good job with the older ones, but there still a lot more work to be done.”

Placing third was Cavalier FC, which got two second half goals from Janeka Edy to take down the Dynamos, 2-0, in the third/fourth place game.

“This game was a rough one because we had two games prior to this, so we were tired. We had to push through,” Edy said. “I liked the second goal the most because I was by myself. Our coach told us to calm down and stick to the formation.”

The Cavalier’s Rachel Rolle said she was happy that her team placed third, although they missed out on playing Baha Juniors in the final.

“It was rocky at the start of the game, but we were able to connect our passes as the game went on,” Rolle said. “We played well and played as our sister’s keeper.”

The all-star games as well as the awards ceremony for the Hummel Cup will take place on Saturday, June 24.

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas falls to the DRSports

Team looking to bounce back against Paraguay today

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 20, 2023 49 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas was able to salvage its initial tie of Americas Group III Davis Cup action at Club Internacional de Tenis in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Monday, but still lost the battle two matches to one to a tough Dominican Republic (DR) team.

In the first match of the day, playing in the number two singles position, national champion Denali Nottage fell in his Davis Cup debut, losing to Alejandro Jose Gandini in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-4, in a match that lasted an hour and 21 minutes. In match number two, playing in the number one singles position for The Bahamas, Kevin Major Jr. fell to Peter Bertran in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-3, in a match that lasted an hour and 32 minutes. In doubles, the team of Donte Armbrister and player/captain Marvin Rolle defeated the team of Enmanuel Munoz and Alberto Puello in straight sets, 7-6(0) and 6-2, in a match that lasted an hour and 28 minutes.

Armbrister is on the team for the second time, Major is making his seventh appearance at Davis Cup and veteran Rolle is on the team for the 19th time.

The team had a shaky start on Monday, but the doubles win could give them some momentum going into today’s matchup against Paraguay, a team they lost to two matches to one last year, and are winless against in four tries in the history of The Bahamas’ participation at Davis Cup.

The other teams in The Bahamas’ pool are Honduras and Costa Rica, and they must finish in the top two to have a chance to be promoted to the Americas Group II for next year. The teams in Pool A are Bolivia, Venezuela, Bermuda and Panama. The top two teams in each pool will play a crossover playoffs against each other with the winners playing for the gold and the losers playing for the bronze. All three of the medal finishers will be promoted to the Americas Group II for next year. The bottom two teams will be relegated to the Americas Group IV for next year.

The event is being played on outdoor clay courts.

In the first match of the day, Nottage won just 45 percent of his first serves (15-for-33) while his opponent won 61 percent of his (23-for-38). He also won 57 percent of his second serves (13-for-23) compared to 43 percent for Nottage (12-for-28). Gandini broke Nottage five times in the match and won 70 of the 122 total points.

In the second match, Major won 58 percent of his first serves (25-for-43) compared to 72 percent for his opponent (26-for-36). Bertran won 59 percent of his second serves (10-for-17) compared to 43 percent for Major (10-for-23). Bertran broke Major four times and won 67 of the 119 total points.

In the doubles match, Armbrister and Rolle won 72 percent of their first serves (36-for-50) compared to just 56 percent for their opponents (30-for-54). They also won 50 percent of their second serves (8-for-16) compared to 47 percent for their opponents (8-for-17). Armbrister and Rolle broke Munoz and Puello three times and won 77 of the total 137 points.

The tournament continues today and wraps up on Saturday.

Members of the Mako Aquatic Swim Club celebrating. Photo: Melinda Moss/Bahamas Aquatics

As of Monday, June 19, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the fifth straight consecutive year, the Mako Aquatic Swim Club hoisted the Bahamas Aquatics’ National Swimming Championship trophy in the air as national champions.

#In similar fashion to Team Bahamas winning its fifth straight CARIFTA Swimming Championships over the Easter holiday weekend, Mako also had a dominating performance as they wrapped up the four-day meet on Father’s Day on Sunday at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex.

#Mako accumulated a total of 2,698 points to out-distance their nearest rivals, Barracuda Swim Club, who had 1,569. Not too far behind in third place was the Alpha Aquatics Club with 1,524.50.

#The remaining teams in order of finish were the Blue Waves Swim Club with 965.50 for fourth; Black Marlins Swim Club with 608 fir fifth; Lyford Swim Club with 394 for sixth, Lightning Aquatics with 300 for seventh; Mantas Swim & Water Polo Club with 240 for eighth; Freeport Aquatics with 158 for ninth and the Sea Waves Aquatic Team with nine points for 10th place.

#In the medal count, Mako collected a total of 87 gold, 64 silver and 71 bronze for a total of 222 medals to dominate the chart. The Barracuda Swim Club was again in second with 46 gold, 43 silver, 34 bronze for 123 medals. Alpha Aquatics completed the top three with 45 gold, 37 silver and 31 bronze for 113.

#The Blue Waves were fourth with 15 gold, 25 silver and 23 bronze of their total of 63; the Black Marlins Swim Club was fifth with six gold, 17 silver and 21 bronze for their total of 44. Lightning Aquatics also had six gold, one silver and a bronze for eight medals. Lyford Swim Club had three gold, 14 silver and nine bronze for 26; Freeport Aquatic had a gold, five silver and three bronze for nine and Mantas Swim and Water Polo Club had four silver and four bronze for eight.

#All season long, Mako’s head coach Travano McPhee said they were working on going for the five-peat and his swimmers worked extremely hard to achieve the feat.

#“This one feels good. Just like the CARIFTA team, our goal started from last year. We wanted to win five straight. That was the goal of our coaches, the team captains, all the swimmers and their parents. We were able to pull it off,” McPhee said.

#However, he doesn’t want his team to rest on their laurels, as he say they want to continue to match the performances of the CARIFTA team when they go for their sixth straight here at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex next April.

#“We’re going to celebrate this one, but we’re also going to start preparing right away for the sixth straight,” said McPhee, who was pleased with their performances across the board.

#“Our relay teams dominated from the eight-and-under to our 18-and-over. Everyone came out and performed,” he said. “We did what we planned to do from day one. I’m just happy with the team’s performance.”

#Marvin Johnson Jr, who came home from boarding school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, competed in seven individual events and he won them all in the 50, 100, 400 and 499 metres freestyle; 50 and 200m butterflies and the 200m backstroke.

#The 17-year-old Johnson also helped his Mako team to three victories in the relays and second in two others.

#“It was a pretty good performance. I was happy with it. Coming back from school, and back in the home crowd environment, it was nice to put on a show in what could be a preview for CARIFTA next year,” Johnson said.

#“So it was great to put on the show for the crowd, but the competition was really stiff. We didn’t get to win that by just having some average guys. All of the guys came together and made things happen.”

#Taylen Nicolls, who competes in the girls 9-10 division, proved that even though she attended Elva Hilton Primary School where she will graduate from this year, she has the ability to compete just as well as her peers.

#But in addition to swimming for Mako, the 11-year-old still find the time to be a speaker, dancer and actress. She noted that she spends about one hour in each segment to be able to perform at such a high level.

#“My performance was extremely great, especially how we started training for swimming since September,” Nicolls pointed out. “I feel very excited that I got the high point trophy again because everybody step into pool want it just as bad as I do.”

#Nicolls won all of her individual events she competed in, especially for the 200m freestyle where she placed second. She noted that her competition pushed her to the limit.

#Saleste Gibson, who competed in the 11-12 girls division for the Barracuda Swim Club, continued a winning tradition that was left behind by her siblings, Selina and Samuel Gibson Jr, who are both in college, but are done with swimming.

#The 12-year-old participated in seven individual events and won seven gold medals.

#“I think I did a very good job in my opinion,” she said. “I think it was very good to come here and compete with everyone from The Bahamas.

#“It was a really good time for me to show off what I could do. My brother and sister have been supporting me one hundred percent and I know I could ask for advice because they were both swimmers.”

#Bahamas Aquatics president Ashley Cargill said they couldn’t ask for a much better showing than what they got for this year’s nationals with a number of national records broken.

#Jaylah Threadgill, of Lyford Swim Club, broke the only individual open record in the girls 11-12 50m breaststroke in a time of 35.83, while there were a few team record-breaking performances.

#Threadgill’s time also posted a new national record as she joined several other individual record breakers. Among the list were Rhanishka Gibbs of the Barracuda in the girls 15-17 50m breaststroke in 32.93 and 100m butterfly in 1:05.05; David Singh, also of the Barracuda, in the boys 11-12 200m IM in 2:27.46; Lamar Taylor of Mako Aquatic in the boys 18-and-over 50m backstroke in 25.54 and 100m backstroke in 56.47; Zoe Williamson from Mako as well in the girls 13-14 100m butterfly in 1:06.57; Keianna Moss of Mako in the girls 15-17 100m butterfly in 1:05.29; Cailyn Dean of the Blue Waves in the girls 8-and-under 50m butterfly in 38.87 and Saleste Gibson in the girls 11-12 50m butterfly in 29.61.

#There were also several relay records broken.

#“I think the swimmers came out and they performed exceptionally well,” Cargill said. “We were very pleased with the competition. Even though Mako won by a large margin, there were a lot of impressive performances from the other clubs.”

#In a humanitarian effort, Bahamas Aquatics supported Shawn Neely Jr with his battle with cancer by donating $1,035 they collected from the gate and Bahamas Aquatics will also be making a contribution to his cause.

#His father, Shawn Neely Sr, thanked the swimming community, especially some of the competitors he swam with and against and even some of Shawn Jr’s peers for providing a helping hand.

#Neely Sr, who is the head coach for the Lightning Aquatics, said his son is in high spirits and was appreciative of the support he got from everybody. Neely Sr said they are working on getting him through his treatment so that he can be ready to come out and compete next year.

As of Monday, June 19, 2023

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RASHIELD Williams celebrating his victory.

RASHIELD Williams evading a punch in the bout.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#RASHIELD Williams, fighting his first eight round bout of his professional career, went the distance to pull off a decision on points over Ramon de la Cruz Sena from Argentina on Saturday night.

#In what he described as an early Father’s Day gift to himself, Williams said head difficulty shaking off his crafty opponent, known as ‘El Correntino’, but he was committed to securing the win at the Alessi Gym Fitness Center in Tampa, Florida.

#“He was a veteran fighter, who had been in many fights, so it was difficult to shake him off,” said Williams, who dedicated the fight to his son Reagan, “He knew exactly what he was doing, so I couldn’t knock him out. I had to our-box him.”

#With the win, his second straight for the year, the 29-year-old Williams improved his win-loss record to 8-2. The 37-year-old de la Cruz Sena fell to 23-36-5.

#Compared to his previous fight when he stopped American Walter Raul Saravia at the same venue on March 18, Wiliams said he was in much better shape because he knew his opponent was no pushover.

#“I was in tip top shape,” he explained. “I usually go into the ring heavy, but I was much lighter. That made the difference in my performance.”

#Williams, who trains at the Contenders Boxing Gym in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is now preparing to head to the Central American and Caribbean Games where he hopes to get even lighter than he was Saturday night.

#“I have to go running now. Coming off a fight like I had last night, I’m excited about what I can do,” Williams proclaimed. “But I know fighting against amateurs, you have to throw my punches because it’s only three rounds.”

#The 24th edition of the CAC Games is scheduled for June 23 to July 8 in San Salvador, El Salvador, and will allow professional boxers to fight against amateur boxers.

BAHA Juniors celebrate their triumph. Photos: Tenajh Sweeting/Tribune Staff

As of Monday, June 19, 2023

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BAHA Juniors in action against Dynamos FC.

A CAVALIERS player fires in a ball against United FC.

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Baha Juniors women’s team will now join the Western Warriors men’s football club (FC) as Hummel Cup title winners. The team secured their championship hardware after defeating the defending champions, United FC at the Roscow AL Davies new soccer field.

#Despite a delay due to inclement weather, the matches rolled on and saw the Western Warriors finish fifth, Dynamos FC in fourth place, Cavaliers FC claim third, and United FC as runner ups this time around.

#First place

#In a tightly contested match, the Baha Juniors women’s team was able to topple the defending champions United FC. Both teams battled for a score in each of the 15-minute halves.

#However, neither were able to score a goal which led to a penalty shootout.

#Annisa Albury, first Bahamian woman to officiate at CONCACAF Beach Soccer Pre-World Cup, was the first to sink the ball to the back of the net for her team.

#The next score came from Alyssa Franklin. Hadassah Knowles of United FC was able to put a point on the scoreboard for her team to keep their championship window open. However, the Baha Juniors’ Sydney Hector shut out the defending champions after nailing the final penalty kick. The penalty shootout ended 3-1.

#Julian Smith, Baha Juniors head coach, said the team’s goal was to limit the passing ability of United FC.

#“The whole point of the game was to try and contain them as much as we could because they are really good at making passes so we just had to keep holding on,” Smith said.

#The head coach added that he would have liked the team to score but he was confident in his team’s ability to win the penalty shootout because they are good with spot kicks.

#Ellianne Higgs, goalkeeper for the Baha Juniors, played an integral role in the team’s win. She talked about how it felt to contribute to the victory.

#“I think my team played really well United [FC] has always been one of our top competitors so we tried really hard to play them today and beat them… I was really glad I got those shots because I know my team wanted this cup so I worked as hard as I could to save them,” Higgs said.

#After failing to repeat as Hummel Cup title winners, Samuel Thibaud, head coach of United FC, talked about the loss.

#“It feels terrible because the game was set up to be 20 minutes-20 minutes. We had a strategy to play our second team in the first game and save our energy for the championship game but we didn’t get a chance to wear them down,” Thibaud said.

#He added that the loss was also disappointing because they fell to the team in the Bahamas Football Association’s (BFA) Women’s Futsal Championship as well.

#Third Place

#In the battle for bronze, the Cavaliers FC took down the Dynamos FC, last year’s runner ups, 2-0. The Cavaliers’ Jankea Edey was instrumental in the team’s win over their competitors. In the first half of play, Edey sank her first goal of the contest to put the team up 1-0 going into half-time.

#Although the Dynamos tried to score on multiple occasions, they remained scoreless. Ultimately, the midfielder scored again off an assist by her teammate late in the second half to solidify the victory for her club.

#She said the win was a tough one due to the frequency of games.

#“This game was a rough game considering we had two games prior to this so our team was tired so it took them a lot to keep pushing through to get to win… I am really proud of them because we came a long way and we did good as a team,” Edey said.

#Another bright spot for the Cavaliers was the play of their coach, goalie, and BFA vice president Daria Adderley. She said being in the trenches and knowing what the players want helps with the guidance of the executives in the BFA. She added that it’s fun to wear multiple hats in soccer and it’s a joy for her.

#The Western Warriors secured fifth place in the BFA’s women’s football Hummel Cup after defeating the Future Stars 3-0 this past Saturday. The men’s Western Warriors FC earned their Hummel Cup victory after beating United FC 2-0 in April.

As of Monday, June 19, 2023

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JONQUEL Jones

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas’ Jonquel Jones posted her first double-double of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season this past Sunday. Jones also turned in her second highest point total of the season as the second leading scorer in the New York Liberty’s win against the Phoenix Mercury. Although the Liberty team was without their All-Star guard Sabrina Ionesecu, the third-seeded team routed the Mercury 89-71.

#Liberty opened the first quarter on a tear going up 30-17 on the Mercury who played without their star centre Britney Griner. The Mercury star was sidelined with a hip injury sustained last week Tuesday. Jones’ teammate Breanna Stewart had her worst game of the season against the Atlanta Dream in the previous game as she only amassed 12 points in 37 minutes of action. However, on Sunday Stewart collected her seventh double-double of the season with 28 points, and 14 rebounds to pair nicely with seven dimes. Jones stepped up to the plate in the 23 minutes she played at the Barclays Center, the Bahamian forward coming away with 13 points, a season-high 11 boards, and three assists on 50% shooting. Jones also finished the game shooting 100% from the charity stripe.

#After taking control in the first quarter, the Liberty went into halftime with a 53-34 lead over the 2-7 (win/loss) Phoenix team. Jones’ teammate Stewart poured in 23 of her 28 points in the first half making it a big difference from the last game’s lone field goal she scored. In the third period, the last-seeded WNBA team matched the Liberty’s 16 apiece in the quarter. Jones’ Liberty went into the final quarter with a comfortable 19-point lead over their opponents.

#However, the Mercury erased the 19-point deficit to 72-64 with 6:01 left in the game following an 11-0 run. Stewart stopped the unanswered run, hitting a free throw followed by a field goal from Liberty forward Betnijah Laney. Despite a fourth quarter push by the Mercury, the New York team held onto their double-digit advantage leading to their bounce back win.

#Although the Liberty are 6-3 in their last 10 games and are enjoying a relatively good start to the season, Jones has had some struggles. However, the forward seems to be headed in the right direction after Sunday’s second highest point total and season-high in rebounds translated to her first double double of the year. Jones and the Liberty will look to keep the early season momentum going and take the edge in the season series versus the Atlanta Dream this Friday. The Liberty will take on the Dream for the third time this month at 7pm in the Gateway Center. Both teams will be eager for the win after splitting victories in the last two weeks.